Confessions of a Timeshare Salesperson

Lisa Ann Schreier, a former timeshare salesperson, knows all about what happens, and doesn't mind telling some of the industry's best-kept secrets.

She has been there and done that. The memories of sitting in front of an unsuspecting couple, in the middle of a room filled with other couples and families at a resort under the guise of “attending an enjoyable 60-minute meeting and getting 4 days of a luxury vacation.”

Throw hook out, reel in couple, and then ask innocently, “will you be putting that on your charge card or writing us a check today?”

Ah, most of us are familiar with the “timeshare soft shoe.”

Every year more than 3 million Americans attend a timeshare sales presentation, and statistics reveal that 250,000 of them decide to purchase. Do those buyers make the right choice, or were the ones who walked away taking the smarter course of action?

That question could only be answered by examining each individual decision, of course, but there is no doubt that timeshares have become a significant factor in the travel and vacation industries, especially during the summer months when so many potential timeshare owners are lured into a “resort preview” while enjoying their family summer vacation.

“When I polled a half dozen of the timeshare resorts recently,” said Schreier, a former Chicago resident who now resides in central Florida, “all of them stated that the majority of their “pitches” to potential owners are done in the months of June, July and August when the number of tourists is at the peak. It's a great time of the year if you're in the timeshare business, because you know that you'll always have someone to try and sell to during those busy months.”

Yet, as Schreier notes the next few months also can be a very confusing time for many prospective timeshare buyers trying to sift through the meanings of phrases such as “fixed week,” “floating week,” “fractionals,” “point-based systems,” “deeded” and “right to use.”

With more than 6.5 million people owning timeshare at over 5,700 resorts worldwide – and perhaps three times that many people considering a purchase – there is a critical need for objective, unbiased information about timeshares.

“Purchasing timeshare can be the best thing a vacationer has ever done, but it can also be a huge mistake,” said Schreier. “With the average cost of a timeshare in the United States being approximately $13,000, it's crucial that people understand exactly what timeshare is and whether it's right for them before they make a purchase decision.

“And that's what I help them do, by breaking through all the confusion and by separating facts from fantasy. The timeshare industry has received some well-deserved criticism, especially for some of its high-pressure tactics and false information given by some salespeople, but there are plenty of good things to say about the industry as well. The key is to discover if timeshare is right for you.”

Schreier understands that a better-informed consumer may not be what every timeshare salesperson wants to see. “Soon after entering the timeshare industry, I realized that timeshare is one of the best products in the world, but it's often marketed and sold in the worst possible way,” she said. “It's true that not every timeshare salesperson is in love with me. If you're trying to sell something to someone who you know will probably end up experiencing buyer's remorse, you don't want that person to have all the facts. But I want the consumer to be as educated as possible, and if that gets under the skin of some timeshare salespeople, so be it.